Wire-stretcher.



No. 885,693. PATBNTED APR. 21, 1908.

'J. T. GARDNER.

WIRE STRETCH-ER. APPLICATION-FILE? 11.25, 1901.

N i i UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

Y JOHN T. GARDNER, OF BUFFALO, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO LEVI ENGLE, OFBUFFALO,

MISSOURI. Y

wIRE-s'rnErcHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. GARDNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Dallas and State of Mise souri,have invented a new and useful VVire- Stretcher, of which fication.

This invention relates to wire stretching ap aratus and it is especiallydesigned for tig. tening the strand wires of fences.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter designed to be used in connection with a flexible connectingdevice on which the frame of the the following is a specistretcher isdesigned to be readily placed,

said frame being so constructed as to enable it to be supported solelyby the connecting device prior or subsequent to the stretchingoperation.

Another object is to provide a stretcher utilizing a removable key, forthe purpose of operating means whereby a flexible connecting device maybe wound for the purpose of pu ling longitudinally on the wire to bestretched, said key being so shaped as to engage the flexible connectionat two points simultaneously so as to prevent the winding means fromrotating to loosen the connecting device.

'VVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of theinvention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the wire stretching device.Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates aflexible connecting device designed to be used in connection with thestretcher, the same being preferably in the form of a strong rope orcable designed to be fastened at one end to a post 2 or other fixedstructure while the other end thereof may be fastened in any preferredmanner to the wire to be stretched. Means are employed for winding theconnecting device so as to pull the wire longitudinally and this meansconsists of a yoke 3 in the side portions of which is journaled a shaft4 having a spool 5 secured thereto and between the sides of the yoke.One end of this shaft extends beyond one side of the yoke and isdesigned to be engaged by akey consisting of an arm 6 the centralportion of which is mounted on the shaft and is held in fixed relationthereto in any preferred manner as by means of a lock nut 7. extended atan angle to the remaining por tion thereof as indicated at 8 and bothend portions are provided with parallel fingers 9 extending at rightangles therefrom and each terminating in a hook 10. These hooks areoppositely adjusted. and are arranged along a line extendinglongitudinally through the center of yoke Extending from one side of theyoke 3 and at an angle thereto is an extension'll having an intermediateinverted L-shaped arm 12 extending inwardly at right angles therefromand partly across the open end of the yoke 3. A longitudinal holding arm13 extends from the arm 12 and terminates in a. hook 14 designed toengage the connection 1 in the manner hereinafter set forth.

When it is desired to stretch a wire by means of the apparatus hereindescribed the flexible connection 1 is fastened at one end to a fixedstructure and at its other end to the wire, after which yoke 3 is placedunder and moved upward toward the connection 1 so as to bring the arm 12over said connection and the hook 1.4 into position to partly wrap thesame. A hook 15 extends from the spool 5 and this is designed to engagethe connection 1 and in order to facilitate its engagement the hook isdisposed in a plane extending diagonally upon the spool as indicated inFig. 1. 'After the frame has been placed upon the connection 1 in themanner above One end portion of the arm is described it will be apparentthat the same Wlll remain supported by said connection because the arm12 will bear downward upon the connection and hold it in contact withthe hook 14 and spool 5. Key 6 can then be placed in engagement with oneend of shaft 4 and by rotating it the flexible connection 1 will bewound upon the spool 5 and inasmuch as a portion of the connection 1 isbrought into position below the spool and extends outward therefromtoward the fixed support 2 it has been advantageous to extend the yoke 3downward at an angle as indicated clearly in Fig. 2 so that the samewill not interfere with the proper winding of the connection and cause abend therein. Each time the key 6 is revolved the hooks slip past theconnection 1 and should it be desired to hold the spool so as to preventthe connection 1 from unwinding the hooks carried by the key can bepermitted to engage the upper and lower portions respectively of theconnection 1 as indicated in Fig. 1 so as to hold the key againstrotation in a reverse direction. After these hooks have been placed inengagement with the connection 1 the apparatus can be left suspendedupon the connection 1 without danger of the parts becoming slack and theoperator can then devote his entire attention to securing the stretchedwire in place.

What is claimed is:

1. A Wire stretcher comprising a yoke, a spool journaled within theyoke, an extension projecting from the yoke and at an angle thereto, anangular upstanding arm integral with the extension and extending partlyacross the open end of the yoke, an arm pro,

jecting beyond the extension and having a hooked terminal, a keydetachably connected between its ends to the spool, and oppositelydisposed hooks carried by the end portions of the arm and disposed in aplane extending longitudinally of the center of the yoke.

2. The combination with a flexible connecting device; of a stretchercomprising a yoke, a spool journaled therein, means carried by the spoolfor engaging said device, an intermediate holding arm connected to theyoke and disposed to overhang said device, a hooked holding armextending beyond the yoke for engaging the flexible device, said devicebeing disposed to extend over the yoke and hook and beneath theintermediate holding arm, and. a key detaehably connected to anddisposed to actuate the spool, said key having oppositely disposed hookscarried by the terminals thereof for simultaneously engaging theflexible device when rotating in one direction.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. GARDNER.

Witnesses:

GREEN L. DAVIS, GEORGE W. Mounow.

